Dust or splatters settling on the face or extremities have been linked to allergic reactions, rashes, and skin ulcers, among others. Prolonged inhalation has also been linked to nasal and sinus cancer in humans.Įxposure to chromium fumes and dust particles can result in permanent eyesight damage. Subsequent testing demonstrated the substance causes cancer in laboratory animals. Research indicates that workers involved in chromate production and electroplating industries suffered heightened rates of fatal lung cancer during the 1980s. Health Implications Associated with Chromium Exposure This standard also includes a time average that ensures hard-working people do not experience increased exposure over shorter periods. OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL) for hexavalent chromium and similar toxic compounds was reduced to 5 micrograms per cubic meter over an 8-hour workday. After following the procedural process, a final rule was published in 2006. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reportedly tasked OSHA with adopting a workplace exposure standard for hexavalent chromium in April 2003. Therefore OSHA standards for hexavalent chromium must be followed. In many occupations, this and other dangerous elements pose multiple threats of inhalation, skin contact, or being inadvertently swallowed. Like other hazardous liquid elements, hexavalent chromium can enter the eyes, open wounds, or soak into the skin’s pores. Painters, tanners, and those in the masonry trades are more likely to have liquefied materials splatter on their extremities or face. Welders and people who conduct hot work typically breathe in noxious air as hard chromium is converted into a vapor. The primary way workers are affected generally stems from the application, occupation, the availability of PPE, and disposable protective clothing. How are People Exposed to Hexavalent Chromium? For example, hot work operations such as soldering, welding, gauging, and brazing are likely to result in toxic exposure. Working in one of the following occupations requires the need for PPE for hexavalent chromium.Ĭhromium remains a prevalent material particularly in the manufacturing sector, whether workers are aware or not. What Industries are at Risk of Chromium Exposure?ĭue to its extremely toxic nature, workers must know how to protect themselves from hexavalent chromium exposure. Too many workers are unknowingly exposed. The mined or recycled material is widely used in the following industrial processes, according to OSHA.Īlthough employees conducting chrome plating may easily recognize the prevalence of hazardous materials such as hexavalent chromium, this is not always the case. It’s crucial for workers to understand the dangers associated with coming in contact with hexavalent chromium. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) designates chromium as a carcinogen and imposes strict hexavalent chromium exposure limits on companies that use the material. has relatively modest pockets of chromium ore, and domestic hexavalent chromium is almost entirely generated from steel recycling. It is imported into countries engaged in wide-reaching types of manufacturing. This steel-gray hard metal has a lustrous appearance, often looking like compacted aluminum foil. That’s largely why safety organizations mandated hexavalent chromium exposure limits, personal protective equipment (PPE), and disposable clothing in the workplace. Chromium materials, such as hexavalent chromium, are primarily mined and exported from countries that include South Africa, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Albania, among others.Īlthough a vital manufacturing element, the hexavalent chromium health effects can prove debilitating. Valued for its ability to resist corrosion and its hardness, worldwide chromium trade hovers around $2.7 billion annually, with the U.S.
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